IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, LICENSE MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND LICENSE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PRODUCT

摘要

A disclosed image forming apparatus to which a program can be additionally provided includes an activation determining unit configured to receive, via a communication network, usage permission data that is associated with program identification information unique to each program and device identification information unique to each image forming apparatus. The activation determining unit determines whether a target program is permitted to be activated by respectively comparing the program identification information and the device identification information associated with the usage permission data with program identification information of the target program and device identification information of the image forming apparatus in which the activation determining unit is included.